Home Security Evaluation Checklist

Purpose
This checklist is designed to help resident’s become more aware of certain safety issues that impact
the security and safety of their homes or apartments. It is not intended to include all issues that could
be considered, but is useful in starting the process of thinking about safety issues and perhaps
making changes that would help protect you, your family and property.

Burglary Awareness
When burglars target a home, they are looking for easy targets. They may observe a weakness and
attempt to take something or enter the home. These are often called “crimes of opportunity” because
burglars see an opportunity for an easy theft. No house is absolutely burglar-proof but you can
discourage them if you “harden the target” so criminals will not think your home is an easy
opportunity. Generally, if they find that it will be too difficult, they will quickly leave.

Most burglaries are not well planned, criminals may be on the prowl to steal something and when
they see an easy target or something of value, they just go for it. Many burglars are juveniles or
young adults, often from or familiar with the neighborhood. Most home burglaries occur in the
daytime. Most burglars enter through unlocked doors or windows. It takes less than two minutes for
the average burglar to enter a home. If they can be delayed for just three minutes, most burglars will
give up and leave. The risk of being seen or heard will deter most burglars. In difficult economic
times, burglars become more brazen and will take more risks, sometimes entering a home before
finding out someone is home, this is a dangerous situation and you may need to “harden the target”
to help protect yourself and your family.

Self Evaluation or Police Department Evaluation

This evaluation checklist can be completed by yourself or you can request a team from the Police
Department to visit your home and make a physical review of your residence with you. If you
complete the evaluation yourself and have questions, please call the Police Department and we
would be happy to help you.

Resident Representations
During a physical evaluation by Police Department representatives of your residence, many of the
answers to the questions will be based on the resident’s representations and may not be observed
during the evaluation process. For example, the checklist includes a question, “Has everyone in the
house been informed by an adult to not enter the house if they suspect a burglary has been
committed?”, and the answer recorded on the checklist will be based on the resident’s representation.

An asterisk symbol (*) is included with questions in the checklist that may rely totally or in part on the
representations of the resident.

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Yes or No Answers
“No” answers indicate areas where you could take action to improve your home’s security.
These are just some of the steps you could take to “harden the target” and discourage burglars.

Prior to the Evaluation by the Police Department

Yes No
1. Has the “Resident Agreement” been reviewed and signed by both the Resident(s)
and Police Department Evaluators? ___ ___

2. *Are there any dangerous conditions, hazards or dogs/pets that we should be

aware of or that may present a danger to the Evaluation Team? ___ ___
Please inform us of any conditions such as broken steps, electrical problems,
slippery areas, giant attack dogs, or regular pets that are present.

Front Entrance
3. *Is the house address number illuminated and easily visible from the street during
all hours of the day/night? ___ ___
(Emergency responders need highly visible addresses to find a house quickly.)

4. Is the front door of metal or solid wood construction? ___ ___

(Hollow core doors can easily be punched through to reach a lock.)

5. Are there windows in the door or within 40 inches of the locks? ___ ___
(Windows near the door can be broken to unlock the door. “Security Film”,
available at hardware stores in the windows section, can be added to prevent
the glass from being broken.)

6. Is the door secured by a deadbolt with a minimum 1” throw? ___ ___

7. *Are strikes and strike plates adequate and properly installed with 3” screws? ___ ___

8. If there are no windows in the door, is there a wide-angle viewer (peep hole),
security camera or voice intercom device? ___ ___

9. If there is a mail slot, delivery port or pet entrance at the doorway, is the lock
protected from being reached from the outside? ___ ___

10. If there is a screen or storm door does it have an adequate lock? ___ ___

11. *Is exterior or front entrance well lighted? ___ ___

12. Can the front entrance be observed from the street or public areas? ___ ___
(Burglars don’t like to be seen, a visible front door is not their target of choice.)

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13. Are shrubs or vegetation trimmed to prevent concealment from the street or
public areas? ___ ___

Side or Rear Entrance

14. Is the door itself of metal or solid wood construction? ___ ___

15. *Is doorframe strong enough and tight enough to prevent forcing or spreading? ___ ___
(Burglars can make quick work with a screwdriver or pry bar to simply spread
the frame away from the lock if the doorframe has too much “give”.)

16. Are door hinges protected from removal from outside? ___ ___
(If door hinges are installed with the hinge facing outside, a screw or pin can
be installed to prevent removing the hinges from the outside.)

17. Are there windows in the door or within 40 inches of the locks? ___ ___
(Consider adding “Security Film”, see question 5 above.)

18. Are lock mechanisms safe from being reached from the outside through a delivery
port or pet door? ___ ___

19. Is the door secured by a deadbolt lock with a minimum 1” throw? ___ ___

20. *Are strike and strike plates adequate and properly installed with 3” screws? ___ ___

21. *Is the exterior of the doorway adequately lighted? ___ ___

22. Is the doorway not concealed from street or neighbor’s view by porch, fence
or landscaping? ___ ___

23. *If the doorway has a screen or storm door does it have an adequate lock? ___ ___

24. *If the door is a sliding glass door, is the sliding panel secured from being lifted
out of the track by someone outside? ___ ___

25. *If the door is a sliding glass door, is a ‘charley’bar” or key-operated lock used to
prevent prying? (A stick placed in the track may not be enough if it can be
jiggled out of the track or can be slammed hard enough to pop out.) ___ ___

Entrances from Garage and Basement

26. Are all entrances to living quarters from garage and/or basement of metal or solid
wood construction? ___ ___

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27. Does the door from garage and/or basement to living quarters have adequate
locks similar to what is recommended for exterior doors? ___ ___

Ground Floor Windows

28. *Do all windows have adequate locks in operating order? ___ ___

29. *Do windows have screens or storm windows that lock from the inside? ___ ___

30. *If any windows open onto areas that offer higher risk of burglary, e.g. computers,
weapons, valuables visible, are extra security measures in place like
security window screens? ___ ___

31. Are exterior areas of windows free from concealing structure or landscaping? ___ ___

32. *Is exterior adequately lighted at all window areas? ___ ___

33. *Do windows have adequate pin or key locking devices for partial opening of
windows? ___ ___

Upper Floor Windows

34. *If any upper floor windows open onto porch or garage roofs or roofs of adjoining
buildings, are they secured adequately to prevent entry? ___ ___

35. *Are trees and shrubbery kept trimmed back from upper floor windows to prevent
concealment or access? ___ ___
(Burglars often make entry into a second floor window because these
windows, usually bedrooms, are generally not secured by residents as well
as ground floor windows and doors.)

36. *If ladders are kept outside the house, where they may be accessible to use to
gain access to the upper windows, are they secured with chains and locks? ___ ___

Basement Doors and Windows

37. *If there is a door from outside to the basement, is that door of adequate strength
and properly secured to prevent unwanted access? ___ ___

38. *Are outside basement entrances adequately lighted? ___ ___

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39. Can the outside basement door be observed from the street or by neighbors? ___ ___

40. *Are all basement windows adequately secured from the inside? ___ ___

Garage Doors and Windows

41. *Is the automobile entrance door to the garage equipped with adequate locking
devices? ___ ___

42. *Is the garage door automobile entrance kept closed and locked at all times? ___ ___
(Burglars love to see an open automobile entrance, they can quickly just grab
anything in sight like tools, golf clubs or sports equipment and leave.)

43. *Are garage windows secured adequately from the inside? ___ ___

44. Is the side door or utility entrance of adequate strength and equipped with
deadbolt locks similar to recommended strength (solid core or steel) for
a front entrance door? ___ ___

45. *Are tools, ladders and other valuable equipment kept inside the garage to
prevent theft? ___ ___

46. *Are all garage doors adequately lighted? ___ ___

Basic Gun Safety

See gun safety and related regulations on the website “ag.ca.gov/firearms”
which includes frequently asked questions and other useful information including
“Tips for Gun Owners”, “Guns and Children”, “Handgun Safety Certificate
Program” and other educational information.

47. *Are all guns safely stored in a locked box, safe or vault? ___ ___

48. *Are all guns stored separately from ammunition? ___ ___

49. *Are guns intended for home protection equipped with a trigger guard lock? ___ ___

50. *Have all members of your household been trained to treat every gun as though it
were loaded? ___ ___

51. *If children are in the household, or visit, are all guns secured and locked so they
are not accessible? ___ ___
(Guns are of great curiosity to youngsters, this safety point is also highly
important for grandparents who need to consider visiting grandchildren.
Prevent a tragedy, secure your guns.)

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52. *Are all guns in the household registered so they can be identified if stolen or
lost? ___ ___

53. *Have all members of the household completed a gun safety class? ___ ___
(See the above noted website or other internet sources for class information.)

Basic Swimming Pool Safety

See the California Swimming Pool Safety Act of 2006 which is available on
the internet for specific information. Many other sources are available
for reference regarding pool and spa safety.

54. *Are all exterior doors leading to the pool area equipped with a specific door alarm
that alerts when someone has entered the area? (Required by California ___ ___
Code if any door opens to a pool area if the door is considered part of the
safety barrier to pool access – see California Building Code Section 3109.)

55. *If the pool area has a secondary fence, are the gates secured with a gate lock
or auxiliary padlock? ___ ___

56. *Is the pool area properly surrounded by a fence? ___ ___
(A surrounding fence must be at least 60” high, openings in the fence barrier
cannot exceed 4”, there should not be any horizontal “footholds” that could
enable a child to climb the fence, gates must be self-closing and have a
self-latching device located at least 54” from the bottom of the gate and
the latch must be positioned on the inside of the pool area and must not
have an opening within 18” from the outside. See California Building Code
Section 3109 for complete information.)

57. *Are all gates self-closing and self-latching? ___ ___

58. *Is every member of the household trained in CPR? ___ ___

59. *Is every member of the household able to swim proficiently without help? ___ ___

60. *Is every member of the household, including babysitters or visitors, trained
on what to do in case of a pool emergency? ___ ___

61. *Are children that are in the pool area always supervised by a responsible
adult? ___ ___

Interior Security
62. *Are there several lights in the home set up on automatic timers? ___ ___
(The appearance of an occupied house can discourage burglars.)

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63. *Does the home have a working alarm system? ___ ___

64. *If so, do the residents remember to always set the alarm? ___ ___

65. *Does the telephone answering system avoid announcing “we’re not home right
now” or “we’ll be gone until (a later date or time)”? ___ ___
(Simply record your message as “We can’t come to the phone right now,
please leave a message”. Avoid including your name on the recorded
message.)

66. *Is a key to the house not “hidden” outside where burglars could find it? ___ ___
(The flower pots, under mats, on the ledge above the door, barbeques etc. are
where burglars look first for an outside key. Outside light fixtures are also not
safe. Can you think of other popular places to hide keys?)

67. *Is the deadbolt and other locks on all exterior doors always locked when anyone
is in the house? ___ ___
(Burglars often try the doors and if unlocked, just enter. Just because you are
home doesn’t mean you are not at risk. Always locking your doors is a
particularly wise habit to teach children.)

Basic Fire Safety

68. *Are there adequate smoke detectors in key areas: hallways, family room, near
kitchen, top of stairways, bedrooms? ___ ___
(New homes often have as many as 10+ smoke detectors to meet modern
building codes. Don’t skimp in this basic safety practice, lives can be saved.)

69. *Are the smoke alarms working, have they been tested by the resident recently? ___ ___

70. *Are there any carbon-monoxide detectors? Are they in working order? Tested
recently by the resident? ___ ___

71. *Are batteries in alarms replaced every six months? ___ ___
(Many people use the change over in Daylight Savings Time to change.)

72. *Do all members of the household know what to do in case of a fire or other
emergency? Is there a plan of escape? A plan to meet outside? ___ ___

73. *For two story homes, is there an emergency escape ladder and have they had
an actual drill preparing them to use it? ___ ___
(It’s too late to read the directions for an emergency ladder and train
everyone on how to react when a fire or problem is already at hand.)

74. *Are all flammables stored in original, marked containers and away from sources

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 of heat and flames. ___ ___

75. *Are there adequate fire extinguishers in the kitchen? Garage? Are they
charged? Are they the right type for a fire in that area? ___ ___

76. *Has the resident reviewed brochures about residential fire safety recently?
Have they taught fire safety to their children? ___ ___

Senior’s Safety
77. *Is the resident aware of common slip and fall hazards such as loose carpets,
problems with throw rugs or upturned edges? Extension cords? ___ ___
(Slip and fall accidents are a leading cause for emergency responses. They
can cause serious injury and long, debilitating recovery periods. Common
causes are slip rugs, unseen liquids on the floor, upturned edges on carpets,
extension cords and dogs and cats that can move to be underfoot.)

78. *Are there handrails in the bathroom or other areas if needed?

(The most common place for a slip and fall is the bathroom, second place
goes to the kitchen.)

79. Kitchen fires are also a leading cause of injury. Does the resident have a fire
extinguisher readily available to put out a grease or oven fire? ___ ___

80. Does the resident have contact with people every day? Do they have a “buddy”
system for checking up on each other every day? ___ ___

81. Seniors are often the target of scams because thieves believe they are easy
targets. Does the resident exercise healthy skepticism when dealing with
strangers either in person or on the telephone? ___ ___
(If in doubt, check it out! Call the police or a friend to check out suspicious
offers or people trying to sell products or a scheme requiring money.)

82. Door to door sales people or solicitors are required to have a license issued by
the City of Lincoln. Does the resident usually ask to see the license?
Does the resident ever let solicitors into the house for a demo, to use the
phone or bathroom or get a drink of water? ___ ___
(Burglars and con artists try a number of schemes to get into a home so
they can steal anything in sight, distract the resident or case the
property to come back later. Just don’t let any stranger in your home!)

83. Is the resident aware of methods used for criminals to commit Identify Theft? ___ ___
(Identity theft is a major problem and because it is so difficult to find these
criminals, many of whom are in foreign countries, there is little hope of

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 recovery. Thus prevention is the key. Shred all documents with your name,
never give vital information such as social security numbers or bank account
numbers over the telephone, etc. See additional sources for guidance.)

84. Prescription and other medicine. Is the resident aware that visitors, especially
children and grandchildren, need to be kept safe from meds not authorized
for them? Do they have a plan for removal or safekeeping meds from visitors? ___ ___

Safety Practices
85. *Has everyone in the house been informed by an adult of what to do if they
encounter a burglar breaking in or already in the house? ___ ___

86. *Has everyone in the house been informed by an adult to not enter the house
if they suspect a burglary has been committed? ___ ___

87. *Are there emergency numbers listed by the telephone? ___ ___

88. *Does the resident know to avoid unnecessary display or publicity of valuables? ___ ___

89. *Does the resident have a descriptive list and pictures of important valuables to
assist in recovery? ___ ___

90. *Has the resident engraved identification on highly valued items to assist in
recovery? (Engraver pen is available for use from the Police Department.) ___ ___

91. *While on vacation or other trips, does the resident have a trusted person who
checks on the home? ___ ___

92. *While on vacation or other trips, do they stop all deliveries and make it appear
the house is occupied? ___ ___

93. *While traveling, does the resident leave their phone number or place where they
can be located with a trusted person, in case of an emergency? ___ ___

94. *If there are children in the house, has the resident prepared them on what to do
in an emergency? When someone is at the door? How to get help?
What to say when answering the telephone? ___ ___

95. *Are all prescription and other medicines and household chemicals locked up
and/or stored where children or visitors cannot have access? ___ ___

96. *For vehicles parked outside of a garage, are valuables always removed from
sight? Doors always locked? ___ ___

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97. *Does the resident belong to a Neighborhood Watch group? ___ ___

98. *If they don’t belong to a Neighborhood Watch group, would they like help in
finding a group or starting one in their neighborhood? ___ ___

Neighborhood Watch groups are important in helping you to prevent crime.

The Lincoln Police Department highly recommends you take advantage of being
part of a group in your neighborhood. Call the Police Department today to find
out how to be more informed and protect your family with Neighborhood Watch.

Summary Discussion – Points to Consider

Conclusion
We have discussed the findings of this Security Evaluation:

Evaluator _____________________________, Date _______________

Evaluator _____________________________, Date _______________

Resident _________________________________, Date ________________

Resident ______________________________, Date ______________

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